Love or Fame; and Other Poems Part 7

Oh, take this sh.e.l.l, this pretty thing With tinted waves of pearly red; Hold close your ear and hear it sing, Then tell me what its voice hath said.

A song of surges deep and strong, A song of summer sweet and long, A sound of storm and wind and rain, A sound of joy--a glad refrain.

O plaything of the idle sea, Whence come these changing tints of thine?

Have sunset clouds looked down on thee And stained thee with their hues divine?

Oh, tell the secrets thou must know Of clouds above and waves below; Oh, whisper of the bending sky And ocean caves where jewels lie.

O beauteous sea-sh.e.l.l, tinged with red, What dost thou know; what canst thou tell?

Unto what mysteries are thou wed, Thou fragile thing, thou pearly sh.e.l.l?

A whisper of the sounding sea; A sweep of surges strong and free; A tale of life--a tale of death; A warm, bright sin--an icy breath.

Ah, more than this, thou lovely sh.e.l.l, Thy years have gathered from the deep!

And, more than this, thy voice can tell Of things learned in that ocean sleep.

A grave within the lonely sea; A spot where love can never be; A place where tears may never fall; A lonely grave--and that is all.

Two Pictures.

A beautiful form and a beautiful face, A winsome bride and a woman's grace, So fair and sweet it were heaven indeed For man to follow where she would lead.

A web of lace and a jeweled hand, And life is changed by a golden band; A dream of love and a wealth of gold-- The old new story once more is told.

A wealth of flowers and a robe of snow, A beauteous woman with cheeks aglow; A train of satin that sweeps the floor-- And life is altered forevermore.

A beautiful scene on this Christmas eve, Where all could linger and none could grieve, A dazzling vision of wealth and pride, A royal feast and a happy bride.

But turn your steps to the lonely street, Where fierce winds mutter and wild storms beat; And come with me to the haunts of woe Where life is a burden and hopes are low.

Look on this woman, so thin and white; You close your eyes--'tis a dreadful sight; But shudder not--she is cold and dead-- And died, oh men! for a CRUST OF BREAD.

So young and hopeless, oh! G.o.d above, With none to comfort and none to love; A tortured soul and a hungry cry That rang unheard through the stormy sky.

While, oh! so near in the gloomy night Lay rescue and love and warmth and light; And oh! so near to the longing eyes, There gleamed the bright depths of a paradise.

Oh! look on this picture, thou fair young bride, For one poor morsel of bread she died; One glittering gem from your breast or hair, Could have saved this woman who lieth there.

One costly spray of your flowers bright Could have bought the food that she craved this night; One drop of love from your boundless store Her soul could have saved forevermore.

Oh, sadd'ning picture, this Christmas eve,-- For thy sad story the angels grieve; To think in this city of wealth and might A woman perished for BREAD, this night.

The Queen-Rose--A Summer Idyl.

The sunlight fell with a golden gleam On the waves of the rippling rill; The pansies nodded their purple heads; But the proud queen-rose stood still.

She loved the light and she loved the sun, And the peaceful night when the day was done, But the faithless sun in his careless way Had broken her heart on that summer's day.

She had bathed her soul in his warm sweet, rays, She had given her life to him; And her crimson heart--it was his alone-- Of love it was full to the brim.

But a fairer bud in the garden of love Had conquered the heart of the king above; And the proud queen-rose on that summer's day Had given a love that was thrown away.

The pansies laughed in the summer breeze, For they were so happy and free; And the lilies swayed in the waving gra.s.s, Like sails on an emerald sea.

But the sun glanced down with a mocking light, And the heart of the rose stood still at the sight, For never again with its love for him Would her crimson heart be filled to the brim.

"Ah me!" she sighed, as she drooped her head, "How vain is my haughty will; I sought to mate with the sun above, But lo! I am mortal still.

I envy the pansy that nods at my feet, For though she is lowly, her life is sweet; And I envy the lily, for she is glad, And knows not the longings that make me sad."

A maiden sat where the pansies grew, In a golden shower of light; And she heard the words of the sighing rose, Borne near in the wind's swift flight.

"Ah, rose!" she cried, "I am like to you; There's never a heart in this world that's true; I yielded a love that's thrown away, And I'm weary of life on this summer's day.

"But listen, my rose, and I'll tell you, sweet, The lesson I learned to-day; There's never a heart in this wide, wide world That was born to be thrown away.

The sun may smile as he sails away In the depths of his azure seas for aye; But the rose that blooms in the garden of love, Is as fair as the sun to our G.o.d above.

"The smallest flower that slakes her thirst In the dews of the early morn, Is as great as the stars in heaven above, The greatest that ever was born.

The love we give on this earth of ours Is treasured in heaven through all the hours, And the crimson heart of the proud queen-rose Is as fair a gem as the earth-land knows."

The queen-rose listened and held her breath As the maiden pa.s.sed her by, And then, with a grace that was fearless and grand She lifted her face to the sky.

And never again, when the day was done, Did she long for the love of the golden sun; For the lesson she learned on that summer's day Lay deep in her heart forever and aye.

Twin Lilies.

Twin lilies in the river floating, Two lilies pure and white; And one is pale and faintly drooping, The other glad and bright.

Twin lilies in the silvery waters, Two lilies white and frail; And one is ever laughing gladly, The other, still and pale.

Upon the peaceful gleaming waters, They linger side by side; And one, her head is drooping sadly; The other glows with pride.

Twin stars are o'er the river beaming, Two stars with silvery light; And now they look with glances loving Upon the lilies white.

Two lilies now are drooping lowly Unto the river tide; While in the wave the stars reflected Are floating side by side.